I was laid off last month after over five years at my previous company, and the timing couldn't be worse since I have major surgery scheduled in a few weeks. I decided to go through with the surgery because it took months to arrange, and I’m currently on COBRA for health insurance. However, I won't qualify for FMLA for another year once I start a new job, which adds to my stress. I'm trying to navigate my unemployment claims and have some questions. If I happen to get an interview before my surgery and mention that I’ll need 2-6 weeks off, could that be considered refusing work? Also, when I’m recovering, should I just refrain from requesting unemployment payments for those weeks? Any advice would be appreciated!